


Cover Me

by MontyKarl



Series: Professional Cuddling [1]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Clancy is a cat in this woops, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Holding Onto You finally has that sequel y'all wanted yay, Other, Platonic Cuddling, Sequel, part 2: cuddle boogaloo, their relationship is up for interpretation honestly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 14:32:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15487953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MontyKarl/pseuds/MontyKarl
Summary: Tyler is a touch starved stress mess and Josh has new pajamas.SEQUEL TO Holding On To You: Proffesional Cuddler AU.





	Cover Me

Tyler was terrified of his reaction to human contact. It had been months since he'd looked at the website that led him to meeting Josh, professional cuddler. Thinking back to his 'touch therapy' session he was sure at first he would just feel strange and uncomfortable and eventually would have asked Josh to stop touching him like he did with everyone else ever who tried to touch him. He had no idea he'd end up crying, or wishing that Josh would stay the night.

There was an option for that on the list of services provided on snugglebuddies.com, but it was pricier than just a couple hours. Still Tyler felt strange, craving that contact again. He was beginning to feel like he was going through withdrawal, tossing and turning every night, waking up from dreams only to find his bed cold and himself alone. 

Tyler got a cat and pretended he didn't have Josh's email saved in his contacts. The cat enjoyed laying on Tyler's head when he watched TV on the couch. Tyler pretended to not remember the website Mark sent him when he brought it up, even though it was bookmarked on his laptop. Tyler named the cat Clancy and brushed him every night before bed and n return he was licked and groomed. Tyler was fine, and Clancy loved to lay on his chest at night and sleep, and the pressure from his 8 pound cat alone made a lump form in Tyler's throat at the idea of having Josh's pressure and presence in his bed again.

Tyler wasn't sure what he felt for Josh, he wasn't sure if he was suddenly attracted to men, though Josh was admittedly attractive, Tyler just wasn't sure that's why he was obsessing over him. Josh just made him feel....safe.

Tyler was not saving up tips and overtime and coins he found on the ground and anything else he could think of to buy a night with Josh. Clancy laid judgmentally on his laptop keyboard as he checked to make sure Josh was still on the website once again. Tyler sighed instead of moving him and scratched under his chin.

Tyler waited, until he had enough for a full night, until he was on the verge of quitting school just to run away and never look back and go live in a cave with nothing but Netflix and Clancy to keep him company, he waited. He sent Josh and email, and waited.

____________________

Two days after Tyler sent the email he finally got the nerve to check for a response. Josh had replied almost a few hours after the email was sent and Tyler felt horrible to keep him waiting, ironic under the circumstances.

'Tyler! I'd love to spend the night, I have new pajamas that I've been dying to try out. I attached a screenshot of my calendar, anything marked in green are good nights for me, let me know!'

Tyler checked the small attached photo and then his own schedules and miraculously there was a night that matched up in a week's time.Tyler's hands mashed the keys as he attempted a reply, Clancy meowed in the other room, waiting for food no doubt. 

Josh's conformation came 4 hours and 12 minutes later while Tyler was staring at a blank word document attempting to write an essay. 

In the following week Tyler barely got 4 hours a night, on the bright side Clancy was mostly nocturnal and he had overdue papers and homework to catch up on. His job was suffering, he wasn't getting to seat as many tables a night as he was used to, and tips were crap, and Tyler was nothing short of a wreck the day of.

He'd cleaned his whole bedroom, then picked up the living room, cleaned the litter box, attempted to tackle his dishes; the dishes were a lost cause as Tyler had been using paper plates and plastic ware for a hot minute since he'd started living alone.  
Tyler and Josh agreed for 8pm to 10am to be a decent time for cuddling and then sleeping. Tyler was starting to wonder if he'd ever be able to sleep with the way his nerves forced his fingers back into his mouth to tear at his nails and his leg to shake.

Clancy went to the door, ears perked and mewed, then there was a knock and Tyler's stomach felt like it had swollen up and fell out of his torso all at once. He answered the door.

"Hi!'

"Uh hey, uhm, c'mon in." Tyler awkwardly stepped aside and allowed Josh in. He looked mostly the same aside from his hair being a  
violent yellow, his backpack bulging and Tyler was more than curious to see what it held this time.

"Have you eaten today?" This question threw Tyler off, had he eaten today?

"Uh, I had cereal earlier."

"Oh well, I brought you a bagel, if you want it? It's a little smushed, but I felt bad stopping to get food without bringing you something too. Tyler blushed as Josh held out the small paper sack and muttered a thank you. His stomach growled as he opened the bag and smelled the doughy scent, Josh laughed softly and went to set his bag down.

"So, what do you wanna do?" 

"Could we talk for a minute, while I eat?" Tyler cringed at his own awkward question, but Josh nodded and sat down on the couch, inviting Tyler to as well. How strange, Tyler thought, being invited to sit on his own couch in his own apartment, but Josh was smiling and the bagel was being torn apart and consumed as they talked. They talked about music, finding they had a lot of favorites in common, but inevitably lead to Tyler talking about school.

"So I don't know really what I'm doing with school anymore, but I'm playing around with starting a band."

"That's awesome, I used to drum a lot, even toured with a band, but uh....they broke up."

"That's lame..." Josh nodded and before Tyler could continue Clancy came sleepily wandering into the living room and Josh lit up as bright as his hair. "Oh, sorry, I uh, got a cat?"

"I love cats, what's their name? Can I pick them up?" Josh was off the couch and on the floor petting Clancy before Tyler could blink. It was sweet, Tyler told Josh his name and then Josh was back on the couch, sitting closer to Tyler than before with a purring cat in his arms.

"I had a cat for awhile, but my ex uh....got him in the breakup."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, she was the one who technically adopted him, I'm thinking about getting a dog though, once I get my own place again. I'm staying with a friend while I'm going to school to learn about massage therapy and stuff."

"Oh? I thought you said you gave crappy massages?" 

"I mean....I have been getting better since I saw you last...."

Tyler felt his face heat up at his embarrassment and made an excuse about going to the bathroom. 

He stood in between his sink and the tub, staring at himself in the mirror for a moment. it was quiet except for the soft music playing from his bedroom that he'd left on after studying earlier. He started wondering if Josh was going to just steal his crap and leave before he got back, wondering if he was smart to invite a practical stranger back into his home to stay the night, in his bed, to hold him.  
Tyler sighed and rubbed his eyes, feeling the gnawing of a headache, probably from lack of sleep and excess stress. He washed his hands and went back into the living room where Josh was pulling things out of his bag and rummaging around.

"Oh hey, sorry, just looking for these." Josh held up what appeared to be an adult sized onesie covered in stars and planets. His eyes crinkled as he spoke and Tyler couldn't help but laugh softly and agree.

"I don't have anything near as cool to sleep in, or wear at all...." Tyler himself was wearing an old pair of sweats and his Grouplove hoodie.

"You look fine to me, do you mind if I go change? Do you have a bedtime routine you wanna go through before we cuddle?" This shocks Tyler from his reverie, Josh was here to cuddle him and sleep, Tyler managed a nod that hopefully Josh understood as an okay to go change and went to the kitchen to get some water. The angry headache settling further into the base of his skull as he drank the tap water and waited for Josh to come back.

He was followed from the bathroom by Clancy fast on his heels, and he looked very comfy indeed in his onesie, and Tyler hoped he was smiling more than grimacing as his eye began to throb lightly.

"I uh, don't really have a bedtime....routine...by the way." Tyler managed and Josh nodded and grabbed his bag and pulled out the fabled Cuddle Sutra and handed it to Tyler who halfheartedly flipped through it. 

"Are you okay? You look upset." Josh said cautiously, settling back down on the couch.

"Oh, uhm I have a kind of migraine i think, I'll be fine."

"If you want I can still give you that massage, I really am getting better at it, and the other day I learned about helping with migraines actually."

"Oh, okay?"

Josh stood up and held his handout, "It'll be easier if you lay down so we might wanna move this to your bed....wow okay that uh..."  
Josh blushed this time, but Tyler took his hand and stood up and led the way to his room.

"Just uhm, maybe take off your hoodie if that's okay? If it's not i can go over it."

"No, it's uh, fine." Tyler pulled the hoodie over his head, not wearing a shirt underneath and Josh gasped softly at the sight of his tattoos, and honestly Tyler forgets they're all there sometimes, but he smiles sheepishly.

'Those are sick dude." Josh says pointing towards the dark lines adorning his skin and Tyler replies with a polite 'thank you', "Okay, go ahead and lay face down and get comfy." 

Tyler snorted quietly at Josh once again throwing accidental innuendo his way. He felt the bed dip and sink, his body shift towards Josh as he settled down, Tyler's vision obscured by his arms splayed and crossed underneath his head for support, but he could see a fuzzy image of Saturn nearby.

Then he felt warm hands slides across his neck and shoulders, fingers pressing softly and pulling back, and he felt himself relax. The part of himself that craved affection and touch slowly realizing what what going on and he begged himself not to get emotional about it. Slowly Josh worked away at his weary shoulder and neck, pressing calloused thumbs against his spine every so often and using just the right amount of pressure and sometime in the midst of this his migraine ceased to exist and Tyler, upon realizing this, almost wanted to ask Josh to marry him right then and there.

"Well, I feel like we'd need to know each other better first." Josh softly chuckled as he slide his fingers up into Tyler's scalp and Tyler was too much of a puddle to feel embarrassed that he'd mumbled to Josh to marry him out loud. 

Just as Tyler thought he'd fall asleep Josh's fingers left his shoulders and his scalp and he wearily sat up and blinked his eyes to readjust. There was an awkward spot of drool on Tyler's arm that he hoped Josh did't notice as he wiped it against the sheets.  
"i gotta pee, then we should probably get comfy and set an alarm and catch some shut eye." Tyler nodded in his groggy state as he glanced at his alarm clock, surprised to see it reading 10:14 already. Tyler sighed and grabbed his hoodie, tossing it aside and instead looking for his favorite sleep shirt, he'd just pulled it back n when Josh showed up, a fresh cup of water in his hand and Tyler hoped he didn't look at the pile of dishes and judge him too harshly.

"make sure you drink plenty of water, massages can release muscle tension sure, but they also release built up toxins and you want water or you'll feel hungover."

"Thanks." Tyler felt quiet and small as he sipped the water and watched Josh set his alarms on his phone before placing it on the bedside table.

"So, spooning again? Or did you wanna try something else?"

Tyler thought for a moment and tentatively answer, "I saw uh, a position on page 16 that i liked..." Josh went and grabbed the book and opened it to the right page, smiling as he saw the position.

"Works for me, am I on top or bottom?" There was a beat of silence before they both began laughing.

"Sorry, uhm, on top if that's okay?" Josh nodded and crawled onto the bed, patting Tyler's empty space. Tyler laid down flat on his back next to Josh and felt immediately exposed, regardless of having more clothing on than when he was face down.

"Do you want the light on?" Tyler shook his head and Josh reached carefully over Tyler and turned it off, the small numbers on his clock and the light in the living room the only quiet glow in the room, his study music still on low volume in the corner and Tyler kind of hoped his laptop would stay playing it until he was asleep, it usually shut off just before he was able to.

There was a moment where Tyler wasn't sure if Josh was going to actually touch him, and then there was a leg scooting his knees apart, and a solid Josh-shaped weight sinking against him, from his legs to his hips to his chest and finally ending with yellow sweet smelling hair against his cheek and a soft laugh puffing air against his neck.

"I feel like I'm crushing you."

"You aren't." Tyler replied and he tried hard to disguise the way his voice cracked, the lump settling into his throat working it's way up and he willed it quietly away.

Josh sighed and shifted, an arm coming up to play with Tyler's hair that it could reach from such an angle. Tyler took a shuddering  
breath.

"It's okay, y'know, to cry again if you need to." Josh's voice was quiet and deep and it rattled against Tyler's neck, his breathing hitched and he mumbled his response.

"I know...I'm...I just sometimes I just feel so, so...I can't-"

Tyler couldn't explain the well of emotions bubbling up against his chest, against Josh's chest pressed firmly to his and he was sure he could feel Josh's heartbeat trying to sync up with his own and t was so much and not enough. His arms wrapped around Josh's torso without a thought and he felt the warm tears slide against his cheek and fall back into his ears. He hated crying on his back, but he couldn't move, and mostly hoped he wasn't crying on josh.

Josh just nuzzled his neck and scratched his blunt nails against Tyler's scalp, breathing even and slow.  
Tyler cried for what felt like forever, in the soft sounds of his Study and Chill playlist and Josh's breathes and the random rustling of Clancy running around the apartment.

Eventually Clancy found his way into the bed and lay down just behind Josh's head on the other side of the bed, Josh's fingers slowly quit playing with Tyler's hair and Tyler's grip around Josh's soft pajama clad waist loosened and he began to drift off.  
_____________

Just as the sun had completely risen the alarm began to sound, Josh had set it to an hour before he was supposed to leave and Tyler was thankful in his sleepy state that Josh was able to run off the alarm and settle back against Tyler. They'd moved in their sleep, not much, their legs still woven together, arms slung across each other, but Josh was more to the side than directly on top of Tyler now, but it was still nice. Tyler wanted to cry at how safe and warm and well rested he felt, but he'd exhausted himself and his emotions enough the night before.

"We can totally cuddle until I have to leave if you want?" Josh's voice was deeper and more gravelly from sleep, and Tyler tilted his head until it touched Josh's softly in response.

Tyler doesn't think an hour has ever gone by so fast, not even the last time they laid here together. The alarm went off again and Josh huffed, sitting up and stretching out his arms, lightly popping a couple of joints.

"I'm a glowstick!" He exclaimed and Tyler laughed.

"With that hair, I don't doubt it." Josh pouted, "But I like it, by the way, it suits you."

"Thanks." Josh responded, he was preoccupied with petting the sleeping cat that had joined them the night before.  
"So I have to go now, but you should....email me?" Josh frowned, "Do you maybe want my number?"

"Uhm, sure? I can't really afford to do this very often and-"

"No, I just....like maybe if you just wanna talk or hang out outside of uh this, I mean, I probably won't be a professional cuddler much  
longer, I'm about to finish my classes and they have a position waiting for me at this really nice spa...so..."

"Oh...then yeah of course..." Tyler felt another weight settle on him, not the same comforting one as Josh pressed against him last night, but a sadness, he'd no longer have a cuddle buddy if he needed it.

"Tyler, you know I'd still cuddle you, I'm just a touchy person, so I've been monetizing it, but like...I wouldn't charge my friends." 

"Oh." This time Tyler was slightly surprised sounding, "I'd definitely like that..."

They finally struggled out of bed and took turns in the bathroom and Josh got redressed in his regular clothing, soft pajamas were shoved back into his bag along with his book and a few other toiletries he'd brought with him. They exchanged numbers and as Josh was turning to leave he stopped and turned back around, setting his bag down and instead scooping Tyler up into a firm hug, chests pressed together and Tyler wrapped his arms around Josh back and sighed into the embrace. The hug lasted longer than it should have, but they finally parted and Josh was smiling his crinkly eyed smile.

"So yeah, message me and we should hang out sometime, gotta get to know each other better if we're gonna get married."

Josh was obviously joking, but Tyler felt his face heat up as he laughed, "Goodbye Josh, I'll uh, message you soon."

"Awesome, bye Clancy, " Josh waved at the cat that was lazily swishing it's tail on the back of the couch, "...and see you soon hopefully Tyler."

"Yeah, definitely." Tyler felt himself actually smiling as the door was shut and Josh left this time. Hope for new beginnings on the horizon.

Just as Tyler was making himself a bowl of cereal his phone dinged, signaling a text.

JosH: hey, last night was on me, don't worry about it

Tyler was in shock as he checked, and sure enough the payment he'd sent to Josh was no longer 'pending' but 'declined' and sent back to his account. Josh sent another text.

JosH: I'm serious about hanging out sometime, if you need anyone, I'll be right here.

Tyler responded: Thank you so much.

Josh sent back a bunch of sparkling and yellow heart emojis and Tyler just smiled, Clancy coming to curl up in his lap, the soft sunlight filtering in through the blinds.

**Author's Note:**

> The long awaited (?) sequel to Holding Onto You! I never thought I'd write a second part, but there are a lot of crazy things I've done that I said would never happen.
> 
> This one's for everyone who wanted a continuation and feel free to interpret their relationship however you want, maybe I'll decide what they are and wrote a part 3 in 2 more years lol.
> 
> I'm still petewentz- or j-shler on tumblr, feel free to message me and please comment if you liked this to boost my self esteem or let me know if I missed any spelling errors :D


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